Question for those who were on meth for 10+ years

When you quit meth, did you have several relapses?

clickmom

When you quit did you quit for good or did you have several relapses? Did your withdrawal take a month or more? Did you go into inpatient treatment to make a recovery?

thanks in advance for your responses.

Rancid1

Re: Question for those who were on meth for 10+ years

Hey, I'm 23 years old, smoked meth for 10 years. I relapsed two or three times so far since I decided to quit about a year ago. The worst of the withdrawals were over within the first couple weeks for me, and shorter each time when I came back from relapse.

When I say the withdrawals were over in a couple weeks, that doesn't mean there are no more cravings after a couple weeks, that means I was able to get out of bed after a couple weeks.

Hope that answers some of your questions.

Rubyy2zday

Re: Question for those who were on meth for 10+ years

I starting using at home when I was very young, about 13. I quit when I was 28, that was 4 years ago. The acute cravings and extreme fatigue and not able to do anything but eat & cry & sleep & writhe in pain, that just lasted about a month. The psychological damage is still healing. Through education and helping others I've learned a new life. Some how I had enough brain cells left to earn my masters degree and am a professional counselor now. So there is some hope, but it's not easy, but it IS worth it. I am thankful everyday that I am living a new life. I've been given a second chance & I don't want to blow it. I want to live. I struggle everyday, not with cravings, just with healing from a lot of pain. That life hurts. I relapsed once last year. It sucked. It lasted about 2 weeks. I never did inpatient treatment. I would have loved to, but never had the opportunity. I cleaned up by getting back to nature and focusing on educating myself and making a difference in this life before it's gone. It can be gone so fast. I work helping kids. Maybe I'll be the person that catches them before they slip through the cracks the way I did.

forget
suzette

Re: Question for those who were on meth for 10+ years

I'm 41 I started at 17
..I relapsed countless times, 50 or 100.
but I stopped and started I didn't know I was relapsing.
.....at first I "got things done" I'm adhd...then things stopped getting done even made it 6 years clean and had to go back and loose everything.
every time I went thru withdrawals it was a little harder
.....because of my age and evolvement into addiction how long and how much I was up to using.

Sfj

Split runs

I used meth twice. The first time was a seven year run. From 1968 to 1974. Then clean for twenty-two years. I picked up again and used the second time. Another run from 1996 to 2001. The second time was much worse. Everyday all day. Kind of stupid huh?

Penel0pe

Re: Split runs

Quote:
When you quit did you quit for good or did you have several relapses?

It took me 5 months from the time I really started trying to quit meth to actually stop using meth, and another 2 months to actually stop getting high on ANYTHING. I used for 26 years.

Quote:

Did your withdrawal take a month or more?

As long as I stay clean until January 18th 2007 (That's my plan,) I'll have 3 years clean. I really starting feeling "right" within the past 5-6 months.

Quote:
Did you go into inpatient treatment to make a recovery?

I tried to once in 1994, paid for it, but the day I showed up, they gave me back my money and told me to go home. I was there for the wrong reasons and they knew it. I never did get to go to inpatient treatment. I got clean by going regularly and often to NA meetings.

Anyone who has the opportunity to go to inpatient treatment should take it. Maybe if I had been able to do that, I wouldn't have used for another 10 years, who knows.

Paws
from hell

Re: Question for those who were on meth for 10+ years

Lets see I've been slamming dope longer than Matt ( Rancid ) has been alive, Do I qualify ?

Wow really stop doing drugs. Lets see it was the day I decided I was done, 11 months ago. And I'm still going through bouts of Post acute withdrawal.

Relapses, not yet, I didn't recover the first time 7 years ago, I just stopped using.

Before I did the over priced inpatient, IOP, religion, Rational Recovery and 12 step. They all planted a seed , ( some worthless) but it was when I decided on my own, that I was done did I start recovery.

Al~ A man, an addict, recovering !

mdfazalea

Re: Question for those who were on meth for 10+ years

I love these questions....okay I used methamphetamine for 17 years day in and day out. I have now been clean for 19 months. I had tried numerous times to quit on my own and could only last for two weeks. Coming down off meth really stinks and I did that so many times I can't count them, but when I did it for the last time. Hummmm.......totally different. I am now facing the emotional withdrawal because I had used for so long that I FORGOT how to be normal. It is a process and everyone is different, but yet the same. After I got over the sleepy side I then encountered the emotional side which I am still rebuilding. I used for so long that I forgot how to be me. To talk like me. To walk like me. To work like me. I forgot how to be me. So I am now learning how to be ME! Hope these words help you understand that recovering from meth is a process. Oh and yes I went to a rehab and only lasted for 6 hours because I wasn't ready at that time. When you quit this drug....expect to relapse and however times it takes is what it takes. A majority of us do relapse before we make it. I hate saying that but I feel it true.

angieNcali

Re: Question for those who were on meth for 10+ years

i went into inpatient rehab for a year. I had one relapse at 45 days and none since. I got a sponsor (AA) And worked steps ... and did everything that was directed of me to do ..... and I worked real hard to straighten out my spirit which was pretty badly mangled at the end of those 10 years.

nineyears
clean

Re: Question for those who were on meth for 10+ years

Quote:
When you quit did you quit for good or did you have several relapses? Did your withdrawal take a month or more? Did you go into inpatient treatment to make a recovery?

I used for 13 years.
Yes, when I quit, I quit for good.
I almost relapsed at 30 or 60 days, I can't remember, because I decided I could still drink....WRONG. After a couple of beers I was on a mission to find the dope man. Thank God, I never did find him, and I didn't drink after that.

Withdrawals took more than a month for me; I think they lasted 2-3 months.

I WISH I could've gone to inpatient, but no, I got clean with the help of Narcotics Anonymous and the wonderful fellowship it provided me.

Rubyy2zday

Re: Question for those who were on meth for 10+ years

It inspires me to hear from all of you
You all inspire me & remind me why I am clean today.
I started using before I knew anything else, but that doesn't matter, today I am clean & I am living the life, complete with ALL the emotions. Wow, sometimes I am just blown away by all the courage here. Amazing.

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